My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Shi Hanxi looked impatiently at the two people who had been following her all the way, and finally couldn't help but stop and yell at them angrily: "What exactly do you want?!"

Xie Yan, who was being yelled at, blinked innocently, her eyes revealing a hint of confusion and bewilderment, as if she didn't understand why Shi Hanxi was so angry.

"What is Master Shi saying? We want to go home."

Then he walked past Chu Ling side by side, heading into the city. Shi Hanxi, looking furious, remained standing there, appearing utterly unreasonable.

Shi Hanxi: "..."

A moment later, he rushed into Qianjinlou, his anger blazing.

Right behind him, Xie Yan and the other person, who had already left, turned back and watched his back from a distance.

Half an incense stick later, Meng Lan, who had finally found the two of them, was immediately sent to Qianjin Tower.

It was still early, but there were already quite a few guests. These people were drinking and making merry in broad daylight, indulging in sensual pleasures, and the place was filled with decadent music both inside and outside.

But none of this could affect Meng Lan, since his eyes were already naturally pixelated.

While Zhang Mama was busy greeting guests at Qianjinlou, she suddenly noticed a handsome young man with squinting eyes standing at the door, looking around incessantly.

He immediately swayed his hips and went to greet her, pulling Meng Lan inside. "Young master, which lady have you taken a fancy to? I'll have her come and keep you company for drinks and conversation."

Meng Lan was dragged along, looking at them all the way, and couldn't tell the difference between them at all.

But he really needed to find someone to gather information. So he hesitated for a moment before slowly pointing to someone based on his intuition, "Hmm... that one."

After looking in the direction Meng Lan was pointing with a smile, Zhang's mother suddenly froze, then turned back and scrutinized Meng Lan for a moment with an indescribable look.

Meng Lan was somewhat puzzled: "Is there a problem?"

Seeing that he seemed calm and composed, Zhang Mama had no choice but to calm herself down and decide to respect other people's preferences. "...No, no, since the young master likes it, then we will arrange it for him."

After a long while, Meng Lan and the burly man opposite her both fell silent.

Zhang's mother: ...This is the first time I've ever seen such a request.

Having found a good angle outside the building, Xie and Chu witnessed everything: "..."

Meng Lan cleared her throat awkwardly, poured herself a glass of water, drank it, and then stammered, "Uh, you..."

The burly man opposite him cried out in horror when he saw Meng Lan suddenly reach out to him, covering his chest with his hands. "I... I may just be a doorman, but I won't do anything for money!"

The surrounding air suddenly became eerily quiet. The guests drinking and carousing nearby all looked over, and their faces twisted the moment they saw the big man.

Guests: Wow—what a strong flavor!

But after a moment, they realized that if this person could even stomach something like this, then weren't they in danger as well?

So they immediately moved away from Meng Lan's table.

Meng Lan, who only wanted to pour someone a glass of water but was almost deafened by the gruff roar, was speechless.

I'm so wronged!

Meng Lan, her hands trembling, poured herself another glass of water and took a few deep breaths, trying not to forget her task at hand.

"You, calm down first. I'm not doing anything to you. I just wanted someone to talk to."

The burly man's face clearly showed his disbelief, yet he remained wary, his hands firmly guarding his chest.

"I may be poor, but I still have dignity! Don't think that just because you have money you can do whatever you want—"

His eyes were fixed on the gold ingot that Meng Lan had placed on the table, and his tone suddenly changed, "What position would you like, sir?"

Meng Lan: "..."

"How long have you been working here?"

The burly man bit the gold in his hand before beaming and saying, "Young master, I am a local and have been working as a doorman at Qianjin Tower for eight years. But meeting you today, sir, I've discovered that with my physique, I can actually find a better way to make a living."

"Cough cough!"

Meng Lan choked on her water, almost unable to breathe.

Composing himself, he continued, "I've heard that places of ill repute are often unsettling. You've been here for many years; have you heard of any strange occurrences?"

"Something strange?"

The burly man stroked his chin, pondering for a long time. "Aside from some girls who escaped from the building and the incident with Hua Ran at Xunfang Pavilion a few days ago, there doesn't seem to be anything else—"

Suddenly, as if he had just remembered something, he immediately changed his words and said, "By the way, I don't know if this counts. I have a brother who also works as a gatekeeper at Xunfang Pavilion. After Hua Ran died, he secretly told me that he saw a woman in red float away from upstairs that night, but she disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Meng Lan's expression immediately turned serious. "Is that so? Did he report it to the authorities?"

The burly man's expression turned serious, and he cautiously leaned closer, whispering, "How can we tell the authorities about this? My brother saw Hua Ran's ghost! Otherwise, why would he be lying in bed unable to get up? He's terrified!"

Meng Lan pursed his lips, his mind racing. Of course, he didn't believe in these so-called ghost stories; the woman in red was definitely a crucial clue in Hua Ran's case.

Meng Lan chatted with the big man for a long time, intentionally or unintentionally, until Shi Hanxi reappeared in her sight.

He gestured towards Shi Hanxi, who was surrounded by a crowd as soon as he went downstairs, and asked the big man with curiosity, "Master Shi, are you also here to have fun at a brothel?"

The burly man glanced at it casually, then waved his hand, "No, Master Shi occasionally comes to the brothel to paint portraits for the girls."

Meng Lan feigned surprise: "With so many girls, can he really paint them all?"

"Oh, well, he doesn't paint just anyone. Master Shi only chooses to paint those that he feels a connection with."

"Do you find each other attractive?"

"Hehe, I think it's just his excuse." The big man chuckled slyly. "Only girls with good figures and beautiful faces are pleasing to his eye. Like Hua Ran in Xunfang Pavilion, Leng Yu in our building, Lian Xin in Baoyue Pavilion... those girls are worthy of his Master Shi's paintings."

Meng Lan listened with a gossipy expression, but was secretly startled.

Leng Yu, Lian Xin... several names that came out of that big man's mouth were the names of women who had mysteriously disappeared in recent years, which they had later investigated.

Shi Hanxi also painted pictures for them?

The burly man continued his endless chatter, but after Shi Hanxi left, Meng Lan lost interest in sitting down any longer. She gave a few perfunctory replies and then hurried back to report to the prince.

"Sigh, are you leaving already, sir?"

The burly man was still a little reluctant to leave, and as he watched Meng Lan's retreating figure, he shouted again, "Remember to order me again next time, sir!"

Meng Lan staggered, leaving behind a retreating figure.